Pain involving the eyes, neck, back, shoulders, arms, and wrists have become common complaints of computer workstation users. My review of the latest research led me to conclude that these users experience no more stress than users of other technology unless they perform fragmented, repetitive tasks. Other factors causing stress include noise, dust, extreme temperatures, electromagnetic radiation, unsafe equipment, poorly maintained equipment, and workplace violence.
Studies do, however, show increased cardiovascular arousal caused by such computer-associated anxieties as network breakdowns or the anticipation of them, interruptions, software bugs, and slow response times. Computer users with visual disorders must usually cope with intense monitor glare, improper lighting, poor display quality, and long, involved visual tasks.
Carpal tunnel disorders (CTDs) of the upper extremities or repetitive stress injuries (RSIs), such as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and tenosynovitis, appear most frequently in situations identified by stress, repetitive motion, and the poor constrained static postures of sedentary workers.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) defines work-related CTS injuries in job tasks involving various biochemical stresses or frequent repetitive hand movements. CTS injuries are often rooted in pushing motions, tool-grasping, awkward poses held for excessive periods, vibrating tools, or prolonged pressure on the base of palms.
Studies have shown that computer workers who are denied adequate rest breaks might shrink in their spinal disk height. The combination of poor, static posture and psychosocial stress could increase muscle tension and fatigue at the workstation.
Several studies have shown fewer problems in secretaries paired with one boss as opposed to those in large pools. Recent workplace changes have tended to decrease interpersonal communication. The tendency to fragment workers and assign them to specific tasks contributes to reduced productivity and increased illness, too.
A rise in computer workstation-related injuries can also result from human resources concerns, such as the use of temporary or contract workers. These situations might erode employee cohesion and raise doubts about the company's commitment to its workers.
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Designing a Workstation
A workstation should provide the operator with a comfortable sitting position with flexibility for reaching and manipulating various controls and components, seeing the screen, typing on the keyboard, and creating documents. These guidelines will minimize the operator's fatigue at the workstation:
Posture support: The seat and backrest of the chair should support a comfortable posture permitting occasional variations in the sitting position. Chair height and backrest angle should be easy to adjust. A footrest may be necessary for shorter persons.
Arms: When the operator's hands are resting on the keyboard, the upper arm and forearm should form a right angle. The hands should be maintained in a reasonably straight line with the forearm. Long or unusually high reaches should be avoided. Adding an armrest will provide periodic support.
Legs and feet: The chair's height is correct when the entire soles can rest on the floor or footrest. The back of the knee should be slightly higher than the seat of the chair, allowing the blood to circulate freely in the legs and feet.
Screen position: Monitors that either swivel horizontally and tilt or elevate vertically enable the operator to select the optimum viewing angle. The topmost line of the display should not be higher than the user's eyes. Place the screen and document holder the same distance from the eye as the screen to prevent constant changes of focus. Also, it's wise to keep the monitor and document holder close together to allow the operator to look from one to the other without excessive neck or back movement. The angle of the document holder should be adjustable. When shopping for your monitor, choose a screen with high resolution to improve sharpness and legibility. Your software should allow the greatest variety in font sizes to suit the operator's project and vision.
Work surfaces: The workstation should be designed to accommodate the tasks to be performed. Your workstation's area should be large enough for any reference books, files, telephone, or text and also permit different positions of the screen and keyboard. For greater versatility, select a table with an adjustable surface height.
Keyboard: A movable keyboard can be positioned to suit the job. Ask your computer store about ergonomically designed keyboards to make your operators comfortable and prevent injuries.